Electric teakettle and cover assembly



1950 G. H. BROWN 2,519,431

ELECTRIC TEAKETTLE AND COVER ASSEMBLY Filed June 7, 194-4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR.

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lazw w W Aug. 22, 1950 G. H. BROWN ELECTRIC TEAKETTLE AND COVER ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1944 E INVENTOR.

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Patented Aug. 22, 1950 OFFICE ELECTRIC TEAKETTLE AND COVER AS SEIEBLY Gordon H. Brown,.Detroit; Mich.

Application June 7, 194.4, Serial No. 539,201

1*Claim. 1

This invention relates to electric teakettles.

Principal objects of the invention are to provide:

A new and improved electric teakettle;

An improved construction and assembly for the parts of an electric t'eakettle;

An electric teakettle in which the shell thereof is unpierced below the water line and in which all of the mechanism is mounted on the cover of the teakettle; and

An electric teakettle having a new and improved formof cover and shell and assembly thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which there are two sheets and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an electric teakettle embodying the invention, certain of the parts thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the thermostatic safety switchand resetting mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the staggered line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the thermostatic safety switch and resetting mechanism but with some of the parts shown in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view with certain parts of the handle and shell broken away;

Fig. 6- is a. fragmentary rear elevational view;

Fig. 7' is a schematic view illustrating the Wiring diagram; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view on a reduced scale with certain parts thereof broken away.

In general an electric teakettle embodying the invention comprises a shell H} having a heating element i2 therein, a cover 14:, a handle it, and thermostatic safety switch and resetting mechanism which is partially illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The shell H3 may be formed by a stamping of aluminum or other suitable material to provide a vessel which may be of generally oval shape for holding water and a pouring and filling spout. 20. The side and bottom walls of the shell b0 need not be and are not pierced or apertured in. order to carry out the invention herein disclosed. The rim 22 of the shell W is offset slightly inwardly to provide an inner shoulder 24 and an outer shoulder 26 which extend completely around the shell except for that portion thereof forming the spout 20.

Jill

The cover I4 may be formed of a die casting or" aluminum or other suitable material and is assembled on the shell in such a manner asto close the top of the same except for the opening provided by the spout 29. The cover includes a depending marginal flange 28' having its outer periphery shaped to fit within the rim 22' of the shell and under the inner shoulder 24 thereon. While the outside dimensions of the lower part of the flange 28 are greater than the inside dimensions oi the rim 22, the opening of the shell l9 defined by the rim 22 maybe enlarged suificiently to permit the assembly of the cover is thereto due to the fact that the rim 22 and the upper walls of the shell Ill at the front are interrupted by the spout 20.

After the cover [4 has been properly assembled onthe rim 22 with the flange 28 arranged within the rim 22 and below the shoulder 2-1, a band 30 of metal or other suitable material is arranged externally on the rim 22 and between the shoulder 26 and the laterally projecting marginal edge 32 of the cover which seats upon the top of the rim 22. At the back of the kettle the ends of the band are turned laterally outward to provide spaced cars 34 having aligned bolt holes therein. The ears 3-3 are clamped together, so as to clanrp the rim 22 securely against the flange 28 of the cover, by a bolt 36, the shank of which extends through the aligned openings in the ears 34 and has a nut (not shown) securedto the threaded end thereof. In this way the cover [4 is detachably secured to the shell Ill.

The handle it, which may be formed of plastic or other suitable material, at its front is secured to the cover by a bolt 38 and at its rear by two bolts 48: As the heads of the bolts 38 so are on the underside of the cover 14, the handle it must be assembled to the cover [4 before the same is assembled to the shell Hi. In addition, all of the apparatus or mechanism is assembled to the cover [4, and such assembly must take place before the cover I4 is secured to the shell ill. The rear of the handle is enlarged and made hollow so as to cooperate with a suitable depression or recess formed in the cover M at the rear thereof to provide an enclosure or housing for the thermostatic safety switch and resetting mechanism.

The cover l4 below the aforementioned recess at'the back thereof is formed to provide a depending part M upon which the heating element is mounted. Such part 64' includes a pair of sockets 46 in which the ends of the heating element 12 are secured. The heating element may comprise an electric resistance heating element of the type in which an electric resistance is embedded in a refractory insulation encased in a tube or sheath. The heating element i2 is arranged in the form of a loop which is arranged adjacent the bottom of the shell it. The upper ends of the sockets it are threaded to receive nuts 48 which cooperate with packing in the sockets 45 and the ends of the element l2 for securing the same in place. Between the sockets 46 a well 56 is formed in the depending part 44.

The bimetallic element 52 of a thermostatic safety switch has its lower end embedded in a mass of metal 54 disposed in the bottom of well 5% An insulating block or panel 56 is mounted at the front of the recess and on the cover M by bolts 58, and this insulating block 56 has mounted thereon spring mounted contacts 68 and 62, each of the contacts being carried by a strip which is bolted by a bolt and nut assembly 64 to the block 56. The upper end of the bimetallic element 52 is in the form of a cross and includes laterally extending arms 66. A lever assembly 58 is mounted on the upper knife edge of the part ii! of the bimetallic element 52 which projects above the arms 66. The lever assembly 68 includes a U-shaped lower end, the legs 12 and I l of which straddle the part 18 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

A lining (not shown) may be arranged inside the U-shaped lower end of the lever assembly 68 so that the latter is free to rock or slide upon the knife edge which is provided on the top of the upper end 10 of the bimetallic element, and

suitable means may be employed to keep the lever assembly 68 in place on the upper edge of element 52.

The upper end of the lever assembly has universally mounted thereon a bridge 15 which bridges the contacts 6!] and 52 when the parts erated for too-long a time without an adequate amount of water in the shell ill, the heat being conducted through the outer wall of the element !2 to the part All and thence through the metal 54 to the bimetallic element 52. During normal operation the bimetallic element 52 and lever 58 p are in the position illustrated. However, when the temperature or" the heating element ill becomes too high, as previously described, the upper end H1 of the bimetallic element 52 will move to the left (Fig. 2) sufiiciently to throw the upper end of the lever 68 to the right sufiiciently to move the bridge 18 so as to open the switch.

The lever 58 includes laterally extending arms 89. Springs 82 connected to the arms 8i! of the lever 68 and the arms 56 of the bimetallic element 52 bias the bridge 16 either towards or away from the contacts 5% and 62. As the bimetallic element 52 heats up, the upper end ill thereof moves gradually to the left (Fig. 2) and as soon as the arms 89 of the lever 68 move to the right past the knife edge on the upper end iii of the bimetallic element, the springs 82 will snap the lever to the right thereby rapidly opening the switch. For the sake of clarity, the springs 89. are omitted from Fig. 2.

In order to close the switch it is necessary to reset the same, and this is accomplished in the following manner and with the use of the following resetting mechanism. A plate 34 mounted by bolts 86 on the cover it is turned up at one end to provide a wall 38 which has rigidly mounted thereon two rearwardly extending pins 90. The pins 9t extend through guide holes in a plate 32. Plate 332 has securely mounted thereon a forwardly extending pin as which extends through a hole in the wall 83. The pins as are surrounded by springs 95 which bias the plate 92 to the position in which it is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. A shoulder formed on the handle limits the rearward movement of the plate 92. Thus the plate $2 is mounted on the wall 83 and for reciprocating movement relative thereto by the pins 31! and 95.

The plate 52 carries prongs forming terminal connectors 5&2 which are adapted to fit within the terminal sockets carried by a conventional plug let on the end of a current conductor. The enclosure formed by the cover id and the handle it which encloses the thermostatic safety switch and resetting mechanism is open at the back so that such plug may be operatively associated with the terminals 692 which through the thermostatic safet switch are operatively connected with the heating element M.

The pin 9 is adapted to contact the lever 68, when the thermostatic safety switch is open, for resetting the same. This resetting operation is accomplished when the plug ills is mounted on the terminals E52 by pushing the plug forwardly or to the left, looking at Figs. 2 and 3. This causes a forward movement of the plate 92 and pin 9 1 which will engage the lever 63 if the switch is open and push it past the center of the toggle for closing the safety switch, provided that the heating element !2 and bimetallic element 52 have cooled down sufiiciently to allow the switch to be closed.

The rear end of the plate $4: has two downwardly extending tabs I iii, each of which is provided with a threaded hole with which a screw i i2 is cooperable for removably securing in place the terminal shroud H6: which conceals the joint between the handle and the shell ill at the rear of the kettle. The shroud l M is shaped to fit the edges of the handle and the back of the shell and has an opening M6 for the plug 5M and through which. the terminals H12 project.

As the rim 22 does not extend across the spout 25.3, a lip I2!) may be inserted between the band as and the flange 23 of the cover to bridge the spout. This lip extends downwardly between the spout 2H and the shell ill for a short distance.

The leads between the various terminals have been omitted for the sake of clarity, but the circuit is indicated in Fig. 7 wherein it appears that one of the terminals :92 is connected to a terminal for the contact $2. The other terminal H2 is connected to a terminal !32 of one end of the heating element i2 while the other terminal rec of the heating element i2 is connected to the terminal for the switch contact to.

A signal light comprising a resistance 536 may be connected across the terminals of the switch contacts 60 and 52 and arranged so that when such contacts are open the signal will be illuminated. The signal may be mounted above the panel and be visible through a window it?! arranged in the handle l6 above the light E35.

While the invention has been described with 1 some detail, it is to be understood that the description is for the purpose of illustration only and is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claim.

I claim:

A teakettle comprising a shell having enclosing side walls provided at their upper end with an expansible and contractible rim forming an inwardly offset downwardly facing shoulder on the interior of said shell, said side walls being formed to provide a spout which interrupts the continuity of said rim and shoulder thereby allowing expansion and contraction of said rim and shoulder, a removable and replaceable cover having a marginal portion provided with a shoulder complementary in shape to that of said downwardly facing shoulder and arranged so that said shoulder on said cover is arranged within said shell and below and against said interior shoulder on said shell, said cover extending across and closing the top of said shell except for said spout, and a removable and replaceable contractible band encircling said rim and clamping the same against said marignal portion of said cover thereby to removably secure said cover to said shell.

GORDON I-I. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 121,770 French Dec. 12, 1871 210,320 Graham Nov. 26, 1878 508,066 Tilger et al Nov. 7, 1893 639,473 Ward Dec. 19, 1899 684,069 Knorr Oct. 8, 1901 788,642 Happer May 2, 1905 797,955 Happer Aug. 22, 1905 817,314 Hahn Apr. 10, 1906 1,011,209 Killion Dec. 12, 1911 1,273,821 Causton July 30, 1918 1,571,134 Mittinger Jan. 26, 1926 2,027,537 Kircher Jan. 14, 1936 2,092,772 Nadelson Sept. 14, 1937 2, 35,313 Nolte Nov. 1, 1938 2,286,470 Dafforn et a1 June 16, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,297 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1911 

